AIK beat Skellefteå in game six in front of probably the most loud fans in the world

Ah well, six or seven... not that it matters that much right now...

Oops! Yeah, doesn't matter much now, but AIK surprised everyone and put on a very good playoff performance, first eliminating the first seed, Luleå, and then taking the second seed, Skellefteå, to seven games. Impressive.

At least I guess all AIK fans take great pleasure in Djurgården (the other Stockholm team) being demoted from the SEL...

At least I guess all AIK fans take great pleasure in Djurgården (the other Stockholm team) being demoted from the SEL...

Well... it's fun when Djurgården lose a game... it's really fun when they lose a playoff series, and it's hilarious when they miss the playoffs...

But when they end up in the relegation rounds, and then actually get relegated, I have mixed feelings... it means (at least) one SEL season with none of those passionated derby games, and with none of the friendly trash talk between games, looking at the standings (yes, you can point to them being in a different league, but it's not the same thing).

So (and I think goes for many AIK fans), even though it was rather comical to see them get relegated I would rather have Djurgården still in the SEL.

I guess it's like Canucks and the NHL: it's fun when Toronto and Flames lose, and it's really fun when they miss the playoffs and all that. But not be able to play them at all for a year...? Naahhh... that's not fun...

Brynäs won on Thursday and again tonight. They are now ahead 3-0 in the final.I think they can already smell the gold...

Read an interview with Forsberg today, who is very impressed by Silfverberg and predicts he'll have a great career in the NHL. Peter figures the way he plays should work even better on the narrow rinks. Compared him to Stamkos.

Brynäs lost in ot tonight and thus missed the opportunity to become only the second team to sweep a final since the seven game format was introduced in the Swedish playoffs.

Silfverberg also missed a fantastic chance, he had already scored two goals in this game when Martin Johansson was hooked and pulled down on a breakaway in over time and the ref awarded Brynäs a penalty shot. Two goal scorer and new team captain ( since Dackell hung up his skates ) Silfverberg stepped onto the ice. He got it past Skellefteå's goalie, but hit the inside of the post. No goal.

Either way, he's the giant in these playoffs, but 22-yo Niklas Svedberg in Brynäs's crease has attracted the attention of at least eight NHL teams according to his agent.

Skellefteå won the next game too, but tonight Brynäs won the sixth game of the final 2-0 and are Swedish champions!Silfverberg with the GWG - of course. Svedberg with a shutout.

Silfverberg has been named Playoff MVP and was also the best goal scorer of the playoffs (13G 7A in 17 games) but was beaten in total points by Skellefteå's Bud Holloway (10G 13A in 19 games).

Since Silfverberg is already under contract with the Senators they can bring him over to play with them, and the rumour is that they may do so, but I guess it may depend on whether they get past the Rangers.

So, Silfverberg will be practicing with the senators tonight before the game, and the coaching staff will then decide whether or not to put him in the line-up or wait till next game/next round.

Anyway, very fitting and possibly interesting for Senators fans; former senator Andreas Dackell started the season as Brynäs's captain, but was replaced by Silfverberg when he was sidelined due to a nagging knee injury (Dackell only played 16 regular season games, then tried a comeback in teh playoffs, but gave up after six games).After the final game, Silfverberg was handed the Le Mat trophy (Sweden's oldest sports trophy, instituted in 1926), Dackell came up to him and they then raised it in the air together.

Also, in that last game of the final, Silfverberg's GWG was his 13th in these playoffs, breaking current senators' captain Daniel Alfredsson's Swedish record of 12 playoff goals!

The pre-season European Trophy tournament is growing and now has 32 teams divided into four divisions of eight.There are seven teams each from Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic, four teams from Germany and Switzerland, two Austrian teams and one from Slovakia.

The teams that aren't participating are playing "normal" pre-season games. I'm sure RoyalDude will be delighted to hear that Sammy Påhlsson had two assists as Modo beat Timrå 4-1. Shutdown hockey at its finest!

17-yo Elias Lindholm! Playing for Brynäs, has scored eight points in his last three games.I think he'll go very early in next year's draft....

Nicklas Jensen is doing pretty well playing for AIK. With six goals and two assists in twelve games, he's 25th in points, but actually tied for second in goal scoring. Kristian Huselius has been practising with AIK, and they are now talking about writing a contract so he can start playing for them. That should be good. Every additional NHL player helps raise the level of the game and thus helps the younger players develop. It's good for the league, it's good for the players and it helps make the games more fun to watch!

Hmm. Me thinks Euro fans are smarter than Americans. I remember when the NFL was introducing the WildCard system, and the pundits were not sure if fans would be able to follow it. Yet, you guys have 6 fricking leagues, promotions, demotions and sacrificing of virgins. Love it.

Per wrote:There are six leagues at this level, that play till Xmas. Then the four best teams from each league go on to the next stage, where they form three eight team leagues (known as Allettan Norra, Allettan Mellan and Allettan Södra) that face each other home and away. Meanwhile the remaining teams in the original six leagues continue on.

Then at the end of the regular season, the winners of the "remainder" leagues are pitted against the teams ending third or fourth in the three Allettan leagues, a total of six matchups that are decided in best out of three, where the Allettan teams have home advantage in game three.

To the six teams that win these matchups, you add two of the three teams ending in second place in the Allettan leagues to form four new best out of three matchups. Same as before, higher place in the regular season means home advantage in the third game.

The four winners of these matchups then face the three Allettan league winners plus the best second place team in yet another best out of three matchup. The four teams that then remain standing go on to a relegation league where they face the two worst teams from Allsvenskan (aka SHA) where all teams face eachother twice (home + away).

The winner and runner up of the relegation league than earns slots in Allsvenskan for next season.